The 15 Most Die Hard Online Fan Bases in Music

From the Barbz to the BeyHive, these are the most extreme admirers in the game.

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Image via Complex Original
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There are certain groups of fans that you don't mess with. Go after Taylor Swift? You're answering to the Swifties. Think Nicki Minaj is too pop these days? Take it up with the Barbz. You don't like Beyoncé's last single, "Bow Down?" The BeyHive will annihilate you.

These fans will flood your mentions, rep their idols, and won't stop until they get what they want. Thanks to Twitter and Facebook, artists have more opportunity to interact with fans and hear what their dedicated listeners really think. The entire dynamic of fan engagement has shifted in this new era.

When an artist like Rihanna has double the Likes of the President of the United States, it's apparent that these admirers are more powerful than we could have ever imagined. We're taking a look at which group goes the hardest. These are The 15 Most Die Hard Online Fan Bases in Music.

Written by Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia)

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15. Rita Ora

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Twitter Handle: @RitaOra
Twitter Followers: 2,849,664
Facebook Likes: 1,555,889
Fan Base Nickname: Ritabots
Best Fan Account:@RitaOraCookies
Craziest Fan Moment: When Rob Kardashian went off on Twitter about the UK songstress, they were quick to back up their girl.
Sample Tweet:

When the Roc Nation singer's career skyrocketed, fans hopped on board quickly to support Rita Ora. From the U.K. to the U.S. and beyond, Rita's worldwide fan base has grown immensely in just a little over a year, and the Ritabots are there to show her love every step of the way.

14. Drake

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Twitter Handle: @Drake
Twitter Followers: 10,774,605
Facebook Likes: 28,313,692
Fan Base Nickname: Team Drizzy
Best Fan Account: @WordOnRd
Craziest Fan Moment: Remember the Drake forehead tattoo? Yeah, we'll never be able to forget that.
Sample Tweet:

Drake's fan base is huge. We've seen them support him every time he drops a video, goes on tour, or get into subliminal beefs with other artists. His fans take no nonsense and will never hesitate to check someone in their way.

13. Miley Cyrus

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Twitter Handle: @MileyCyrus
Twitter Followers: 11,730,626
Facebook Likes: 25,437,058
Fan Base Nickname: Smilers
Best Fan Account: @MileyCyrusTour
Craziest Fan Moment: While we all want to forget about this, there was that 39-year-old UK fan that got Miley's face tattooed on him.
Sample Tweet:

Miley has said it herself, the Smilers are her priority. Whether it's with new music, new movies, her fiancee, or a new twerking video, her fans have been around since the days of Hannah Montana.

12. One Direction

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Twitter Handle: @onedirection
Twitter Followers: 11,076,996
Facebook Likes: 14,499,866
Fan Base Nickname: Directioners
Best Fan Account: @1DIRECTIONATION
Craziest Fan Moment: When Harry Styles and Taylor Swift broke up, the 1D fans went insane, flooding Taylor's mentions with threats.
Sample Tweet:

One Direction has hit fan-pandemonium on a level that hasn't been seen since the days of 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys. Fans wait hours outside screaming and crying. They are die hard, they are young, and they will do anything for the boys of 1D.

11. Demi Lovato

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Twitter Handle: @ddlovato
Twitter Followers: 13,019,866
Facebook Likes: 17,982,928
Fan Base Nickname: Lovatics
Best Fan Account: @DLovatoNews
Craziest Fan Moment: When Kathy Griffin made a pretty disturbing joke about Demi Lovato, fans trashed her on Twitter—and more recently, when her show was canceled.
Sample Tweet:

Demi Lovato has gone through some ups and downs, and luckily, her fans have been by her side. They're loyal, they care about her, and she feels the same way about them.

10. Bruno Mars

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Twitter Handle: @BrunoMars
Twitter Followers: 15,881,895
Facebook Likes: 32,704,778
Fan Base Nickname: Hooligans
Best Fan Account: @BrunoMarsFans
Craziest Fan Moment: Rumor has it that Bruno's girlfirend Jessica Caban was slandered by the #Hooligans when she first began dating Bruno.
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Bruno Mars is a young heartthrob, and yes, his fans are aware of that. They wait with baited breath for him to release new music, new photos—just about anything. And he returns the love, like earlier this year when he took a fan to her prom on The Ellen Show.

9. Taylor Swift

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Twitter Handle: @taylorswift13
Twitter Followers: 26,019,671
Facebook Likes: 41,331,329
Fan Base Nickname: Swifties
Best Fan Account: @theTaylorSwiftP
Craziest Fan Moment: When Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made a joke about Taylor Swift at this year's Golden Globes, all hell broke loose on Twitter when her fans thought the jokes were "rude" and "uncalled for."
Sample Tweet:

Taylor Swift fans are relentless—if they love you, they'll do nothing but support you. But the minute you betray Taylor—you know, like all of those boys she writes songs about—they're coming for you, and quickly.

8. Chris Brown

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Twitter Handle: @chrisbrown
Twitter Followers: 12,390,089
Facebook Likes: 29,188,951
Fan Base Nickname: Team Breezy
Best Fan Account: @ChrisBrownation
Craziest Fan Moment: After seemingly lip-syncing his way through his Billboard Awards performance, John Legend's fiance, Chrissy Teigen, subtweeted Breezy and, in true #TeamBreezy fashion, Chris' fans fought hard and reamed Teigen out.
Sample Tweet:

TeamBreezy is not a force to be reckoned with. Ever. With all of the hate that Chris Brown gets, TeamBreezy will let nothing fly. He's had to calm them down before and tell them to stop, but nothing gets in their way when defending CB.

7. Selena Gomez

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Twitter Handle: @selenagomez
Twitter Followers: 14,722,157
Facebook Likes: 41,278,444
Fan Base Nickname: Selenators
Best Fan Account: @selgomez__
Craziest Fan Moment: Their outrage over the infamous ATL Twins posting pictures with her on the set of Spring Breakers got the duo banned from Instagram.
Sample Tweet:

Selena Gomez may have starred in Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers but she's still that good ol' Disney girl at heart—and so are so many of her fans. The "Selenators" have been ride or die for Selena, whether it's over a new movie, a new song, or a breakup.

6. Katy Perry

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Twitter Handle: @katyperry
Twitter Followers: 34,755,498
Facebook Likes: 52,046,341
Fan Base Nickname: KatyCats
Best Fan Account:@KatyPerryDaily
Craziest Fan Moment: After Katy Perry and Russell Brand were divorced, a fan vandalized a billboard on Sunset Boulevard promoting Brand's latest show with "I'd rather watch the Katy Perry movie."
Sample Tweet:

Katy Perry is that All-American pop star who is idolized in a way that hasn't been seen since the days of Britney Spears. Her fans are obsessed, and she's constantly giving them more reasons to be.

5. Beyonce

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Twitter Handle: @Beyonce
Twitter Followers: 7,465,646
Facebook Likes: 45,242,157
Fan Base Nickname: BeyHive
Best Fan Account: @BeyonceLite
Craziest Fan Moment: Beyonce's fans aren't in the drama as much as other fan bases—just like Beyonce. However, it's rumored that fans were outraged when Bey started hanging out with Kim Kardashian when she began dating Kanye West.
Sample Tweet:

When Beyonce does anything, the world stops. Her fan base promotes anything King Bey puts out, backs her up when certain R&B stars take unnecessary shots, and constantly follows her every move. She's not as active on Twitter as other artists, but her fans are, day in and day out.

4. Nicki Minaj

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Twitter Handle: @NICKIMINAJ
Twitter Followers: 16,237,005
Facebook Likes: 29,419,864
Fan Base Nickname: Barbz
Best Fan Account: @NickiMinajOrg
Craziest Fan Moment: On Valentine's Day this year, the Barbz and Kenz stripped down to show their loyalty to Nicki and tweeted photos of themselves to her.
Sample Tweet:

The infamous Barbz are unlike any other artist's fan base. They've been with Nicki for the entire ride—mixtape Minaj, to pop, to American Idol, to her perfume. She's taken them on a crazy adventure, but never lets them down. You go after Nicki and you've got yourself a real problem because the Barbz and Kenz do not play around. Nicki's as loyal to her fans as they are to her, and it makes their interactions extremely genuine on Twitter, in person, and on tour.

3. Lady Gaga

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Twitter Handle: @ladygaga
Twitter Followers: 35,956,278
Facebook Likes: 56,361,585
Fan Base Nickname: Little Monsters
Best Fan Account: @gagadaily
Craziest Fan Moment: A father reportedly gave his daughter the middle name "Lady Gaga."
Sample Tweet:

Mother Monster (Lady Gaga) created this phenomenal online fan base at the very start of her career, bringing all of her Little Monsters with her every step of the way. Her live performances are filled with fan shout outs, and she's truly in it for her fans. She's preached acceptance to all of them, making them some of the most open-minded and dedicated fans around.

2. Justin Bieber

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Twitter Handle: @justinbieber
Twitter Followers: 37,274,951
Facebook Likes: 52,471,077
Fan Base Nickname: Beliebers
Best Fan Account: @JustinBieberSource
Craziest Fan Moment: Anything regarding Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber has sparked some mayhem from his fans, whether they break-up or get together, the Beliebers only care about Justin's well-being.
Sample Tweet:

The greatest distinction between Justin Bieber's fan base and other artists' is that they are proud of Bieber. Whether it's for going from a YouTube sensation to multi-platinum artist, or for shooting back at the media for false accusations, they're emotionally invested in the Biebz. It's intense, but it's heartwarming.

1. Rihanna

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Twitter Handle: @rihanna
Twitter Followers: 29,135,691
Facebook Likes: 68,882,888
Fan Base Nickname: Rihanna Navy
Best Fan Account: @RihannaDaily
Craziest Fan Moment: When Rihanna Instagram'd a photo of what seemed to be a shot at Chris Brown's then-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, her fans threatened Karreueche for weeks.
Sample Tweet:

Rihanna has almost double the Facebook likes of President Obama, and her fans don't give a #phuck, just like their idol. They're loyal, and so is she—truly dedicated fans who have been there from the beginning don't go unnoticed. But don't cross them, especially when it comes to Chris Brown, because they are relentless, and rightfully so.

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